NATS, DroneCloud and Network Rail have completed a major project exploring how drones could be safely used at scale around critical national infrastructure, including for rail inspections and incident response.
“Project SOCNI, ‘Scaling BVLOS Operations for Critical National Infrastructure’, brought together partners from aviation, drone technology, rail infrastructure and policing to test how beyond visual line of sight drone operations could be safely supported in complex environments,” according to a NATS press release. “The consortium, led by DroneCloud, included NATS, Network Rail, Transport for Wales, RUAS and British Transport Police.”
Project SOCNI tested how multiple operators could coexist safely in the same piece of airspace by ensuring they all had access to the same information and followed a clear prioritisation model. The live demonstration, which used real aircraft and simulated real-world scenarios, will result in a new concept of operations to support the transition from segregated to shared airspace.
For NATS, the project provided an opportunity to demonstrate its OpenAir concept in a practical operational setting, said NATS. OpenAir is being developed to support the safe integration of new airspace users by enabling data sharing and digital coordination between operators.
The project was supported through the UK Research and Innovation Future Flight programme, which funds projects that aim to advance the next generation of aviation systems and services in the UK.
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